Back in October 2014, my good friend and I rushed all the way to the opening of one of the biggest retail stores worldwide. It was the last day of our first semester and we wanted to do something fun - we went shopping. From school, we took two crowded trains just to reach the mall in time. After our little fun, we decided to take a cab back to our dorm. We did the usual protocol: call our parents/friends and tell them all the details about the cab (name, plate number, contact number). After putting the phone down, the cab driver thought it would be funny to proclaim himself as a hold-upper. Now, who in their right mind would think it would be completely hilarious to joke about being a criminal to two young women, late at night? Ever since, I vowed to never take another cab unless I’m with my brothers.

Transportation problems are the worst. I usually have to ask my friend if I could hitch a ride with her whenever we’d go out because no one else could drive me, and my mom is very uneasy about the thought of me riding a cab by myself. There are so many crimes involving taxis and I’d rather be safe than sorry. So, when Uber, an app-based, ride-hailing transportation service, emerged in Metro Manila, I was quick to try it out.

With a simple tap on my smartphone, I was paired with a driver within the vicinity of my location. What's great is that the details of the driver such as his name and contact number, and the car model and plate number are all available in an instant so you could message all those to a friend or relative. While waiting for your car to arrive, using your Uber app, you could track its location and the approximate time it would reach you. Soon enough, the driver contacts you when he's already at your pinned location.

Most of the regular taxi drivers haggle for the payment. Even if the meter reads P200, he’ll ask for P300 because it was too traffic/it was so far/your drop-off was so out of the way from where he wanted to go/etc. He’ll create so many excuses just so you could add an unreasonable amount on top of what the meter read. With Uber, there’s no negotiation involved. Heck, you don’t even have to bring out money! Once you register for an Uber account, it requires you to register your credit card, so after every ride, they just charge you and send you an e-receipt via your email address. They’ll show you the breakdown of the payment as well so you know you’re not being fooled.

Of course, taxi companies are having an uproar because they’re starting to lose passengers, all thanks to Uber. Uber cars are required to be not over 7 years old and I can guarantee that their vehicles are always so clean and drivers so courteous. Some even get out of the car to open the door for you. They even let you control the radio and A/C level. Do regular cabs do that? Hell no.

Personally, I do not understand why some people are pushing to ban Uber in Manila. If they want us to keep riding their cabs, then please do provide us with the clean, safe, and reliable service that Uber has already offered.

- Daniela Regisillustrations by Kim AliviaGet P300 off your first Uber ride by using this promo code: uberdanielaregis